NIGHT-SOIL. 



NIGHT-SOIL. 



really did. An Englishman says, 'tis more 

 decent and better to let it alone ; but as I con- 

 ceive it perfectly decent and efficient, I shall 

 consider human ordure as the very best ma- 

 nure that can be procured. But here, I shall 

 first consider the farmer's conduct at home, 

 where his great object is to raise as much ma- 

 nure as possible without being obliged to de- 

 pend on purchases, which are only to be made 

 in certain situations. If the farmer manages 

 his necessary-house in such a manner as to 

 suffer nothing to run off from it, and frequently 

 throws malt-dust, saw-dust, fine mould, or sand 

 into it, he may, every year, manure from 1 to 

 2 acres of land. 



" If the farmer is within reach of any con- 

 siderable town, and there are scavengers or 

 people who will collect this manure and keep 

 it separate, the farmer can hardly purchase it 

 at too high a price. In the last century, the 

 ordure of the galley-slaves at Marseilles was 

 all saved, and sold to the farmers as a dressing 

 for grapes, olives, and figs; the last of which 

 produced by it were the best in the world. At 

 Nice it sells high, and every peasant has a 

 house of office for passengers. In China it 

 seems to be a manure, of all others, in the most 

 request ; and in Italy they are well acquainted 

 with its value. At London it sells at from 3?. 

 to 65. a load ; at 17 miles distant, with turn- 

 pikes and all expenses, it costs 25s. a wagon- 

 load ; yet it answered greatly. It should be 

 laid by the scavengers in very light swamps 

 (not too deep) in a grass field, and in summer 

 trenches cut through it to drain ; and then 

 being thrown in heaps, it is of very light car- 

 riage. Three wagon-loads, or from 240 to 300 

 bushels, are enough for an acre of grass land, 

 upon which I think it answers best; but mixed 

 with marl, loam, turf, or dry pond mud, its use 

 for that application is excellent. I have com- 

 pared it with all other manures, and found that 

 none of them I could procure equalled it by 

 many degrees. It is a vulgar error to imagine 

 that manuring a field with this substance will 

 give a bad taste to plants. I dressed part of a 

 pasture with it, fed the whole of that year with 

 horses, cows, and young cattle, and I remarkec 

 to various gentlemen that saw it how close into 

 the ground that part was constantly eaten 

 while there was much longer grass, &c., in 

 every other part of the field." 



"On October 20th, 1772," adds Arthur Young 

 "I marked divisions each of 4 square perches 

 on a summer fallow ; the soil a poor blue 

 pebbly gravel, and manured these compart 

 ments as follows : 



Young, which are entirely confirmed by those 

 of the Essex farmers, and my own, that night- 



oil is an excellent manure for potatoes. The 



bllowing table contains the results of Arthur 

 Young's trials. The soil on which these ex- 



)eriments were made was a poor gravelly 



oam. 



Produce per Acre. 



Soil, simple, produced ----- 

 ight-soil, 10 wagon-loads, each 96 bushels 



6 - 



Produce of Wheat per Acre. 



Bushels. 



184 



Soil, simple 



Bushels of night-soil' - - - - 320 



Do. 240 



Do. 160 



Cubic yards of farmyard compost - 60 25 



Do. 30 23f 



Do., and 1 cubic yard of chalk - 30 25 



" The effect of night-soil," he continues,' 

 "was prodigious; it just trebles the produce 

 In all the experiments I have made with thi 

 manure, I have ever found this result almos 

 uniform." (Annals of Agr. vol. iii. p. 79.) It i 

 evident, also, from the experiments of Arthu 

 844 



Bones 



log-dung, 60 one-horse cart-loads - 

 b _ 8 ' 30 - - - 



ifard-compost, 60 one-horse cart-loads 

 _ ]20 



30 



120 

 600 

 650 

 500 

 650 

 640 

 560 

 480 

 480 

 300 

 480 

 140 



These experiments are useful, as indicating 

 he comparative value of each fertilizer, al- 

 .hough the quantities employed were evidently 

 excessive. Mr. Hewitt Davis, of Spring Park, 

 near Croydon, finds 6 tons of night-soil, mixed 

 with peat, to be amply sufficient for an acre of 

 ground. He thinks this manure the best for 

 turnips. Night-soil is, however, in spite of all 

 the obstacles of prejudice and inattention, 

 much more extensively used in the neighbour- 

 hood of the large manufacturing towns of the 

 north of England than it was formerly. Mr. 

 Dixon, of Hathershaw, in Lancashire, thus de- 

 scribes his mode of using it. " For the con- 

 veyance of night-soil and urine, we have the 

 largest and strongest casks, such as oils are 

 imported in ; the top of each is provided with 

 a funnel to put the matters through, and the 

 casks are fixed on wheels like those of a com- 

 mon dung-cart. I am fully aware that there 

 are many localities where neither peat nor 

 night-soil can be readily obtained; but it is 

 worth a farmer's while to go even more than 

 20 miles for the latter substance, provided he 

 can have it without deterioration: the original 

 cost is often trifling. On a farm where turnips 

 ormangel-wurzel are cultivated to some extent, 

 the system here recommended will be almost 

 incalculably advantageous. A single horse is 

 sufficient for one carriage; mine holds upwards 

 of a ton each ; 6 tons of this manure in com- 

 post with peat, or, if that is not convenient, any 

 other matters, such as ditch-scourings, or high 

 headlands which have been properly prepared 

 and laid dry in a heap for some time, would be 

 amply sufficient for an acre of turnips or 

 mangel. This manure is by far the most in- 

 vigorating of any I have ever yet tried. Bones 

 in any state will bear no comparison as a help 

 for any crop ; but it must be remembered that 

 I write on the supposition that it has not been, 

 reduced in strength before it is fetched." 



There have been various patents granted in 

 France for the preparation of manure from 

 night-soil, several of which have proved very 

 successful. The poudre.tte, or dried night-soil, 

 first prepared by M. Bridet, was found, after 

 repeated trials, to be a very powerful dressing 

 for land ; 240 Ibs. of this powder producing 

 effects equal to 8 loads of stable manure. This 

 substance has been recently examined by Pro- 

 fessor Hermstadt, who reports it to be a perfect 

 substitute for common dung; that it is most 



